SAVE WATER
Water is the most precious gift of nature to humanity. Water is one of those crucial elements in
nature that supports life on earth. We need water for cooking, bathing, washing clothes and other
items, cultivation and for host of other things. In the recent years reckless and selfish way of utilizing
water has led to shortage of water in different parts of the world. This is where the need of water
conservation comes. Life on the earth is not possible without water. Hence, save water and
conservation of water is quite crucial for maintaining life on earth.
Around three-fourth of the surface of earth is covered with water. However, around 97% of this water
mass is salt water and is not suitable for human consumption. It is present in the form of oceans.
Only 3% per cent of the total water on earth is fresh water. 70% of the available fresh water is not
suitable for consumption as it is present in the form of glaciers and ice sheets. Only 1% of the
obtainable fresh water is available as clean drinking water and is fit for human consumption. It is
estimated that more than a billion people in the world depend on this 1% clean fresh water for their
survival. From here it is quite evident that we need to judiciously utilize water so that other people
may not have to face water shortage.
Startling facts about water crisis
Few years ago it was quite shocking to see people selling pure water bottles in the shops. However
today, with the surge in water crises, this sight has become quite common in different parts of the
globe. It is estimated that bottled water worth $60-$80 billion are being used by people all across the
world every year. According to recent studies conducted by the scientists, if we do not judiciously
save water, then by 2025 more than 3 billion people worldwide would be hit by water shortage
crisis.
According to recent findings, it is found out that about 25% of the urban population does not have
access to fresh water. Further, it has also been found that more than 4 million people are dying as a
result of water related diseases. Developing countries are extremely prone to diseases caused by
unhygienic and dirty water. Even in India the number of people who are suffering from different
water-borne diseases is quite high. This has adversely affected the Indian economy.
According to a study conducted by United Nations, it has been reported that in Rajasthan, girls have
to travel long distances to fetch water. This eats up their whole day and they do not get time to go to
school. It has been found out that some of the cases of farmers' suicide are due to drought or
scarcity of water. It is quite evident from this that water scarcity is the reason behind some social
problems in India and other developing countries.
Ways to preserve water
According to one study, around 240 litres of water are being consumed by a person in household
activities per day. A small nuclear family of four members consumes about 960 litres of water every
day and nearly 3,50,400 litres per year. We do not need to make huge efforts to preserve water. All
we have to do is to introduce certain positive changes in our daily activities. These include closing
the water tap after every use and washing vegetables and fruits in water-filled-pot instead of washing
them under running water. Using mug and bucket for bathing and washing can save up to 150
gallons of water. Similarly, using fully loaded dishwashers and washing machines will save around
300 to 800 gallons of water per month.
People should water their gardens and lawns only when needed. Avoid watering plants during noon
time, especially between 11 am and 4 pm, as most of the water gets evaporated. Watering plants
early in the morning or evening will enable them to consume more water properly. As responsible
citizens of our planet we need to promote playing dry Holi to curtail the massive wastage of water
during the festival. Planting drought resistant plants is another great way to save water.
Builders of apartments, schools, industrial buildings, hospitals, etc. should promote proper water
management systems to curtail water contamination and wastage. Leaky plumbing joints and
faucets should be properly fixed to prevent leakage to save water. This can save nearly 20 gallons of
water every day.
Rainwater harvesting should be initiated by the government or the civic management authorities at
the village level. Big or small ponds can be dug out to store gallons of rain waters. The water so
saved can be used for the purposes of bathing, watering plants, laundry, toilets, washing different
items, etc. In this way clean water can be utilised only for cooking and drinking. Moreover, the
government should conduct awareness programmes to educate people about the importance of
saving water and the potential threats related to water contamination and water scarcity.
The importance of water can be understood from the amount of water availability on earth. Water is
required in every sphere of our life. Therefore, we need to preserve water by all means. Water
scarcity is a universal problem. So it has to be jointly tackled by all citizens of our planet. We need to
save water not only for us but also for our future generations. Saving water is equivalent to saving a
life! So let us all join hands in making our planet a safer and beautiful place to live in.
